Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Journal 8 by Kendell Miller

I think
a value that all dreamers and eccentrics have in common is that they aren’t
afraid to ‘think outside the box’. They aren’t afraid to do things that don’t
go along with the norm that society has created. I think that as a whole we
discourage eccentricity and uniqueness. Everyone says that they are okay with
people being unique but it’s a different story when they are actually faced
with someone who is unique. They say that they’re okay with it but they judge
someone who is different than them.I
think a lot of people think that everyone should fit a certain mold and if you
don’t fit that mold that society has created than you’re basically viewed as an
outsider.

I’m really enjoying reading Holding On so far. I’m
not usually a fan of books that jump from one subject to another but I think all
the different stories in this book is its greatest strength. You get to learn
about all different kinds of people in one reading. Personally I wish that the
stories would go more in depth. A main question that I’ve had while reading
this book is, how did the writers chose who to write about? How did they know
which stories to tell?The story that struck me the most in this book is Roberta
Blackgoat’s story. The main thing I learned from her story was that even if you
may not see the results of your efforts during your lifetime doesn’t mean you
shouldn’t fight. You should fight for the people that come after you whether it
be for your children, grandchildren, or great-grandchildren. This is seen when
Roberta says, “I’m looking forward for my children and grandchildren and more
to come … Where are they going to be raised and learn how to use the land it
there’s no land for them to live on?” This really stood out to me because she
knows that the fight might not be won during her lifetime but she keeps
fighting because she wants the younger generations to be able to use and live
off the land that is rightfully theirs. I believe that the key theme in
Roberta’s story is fighting for what you believe in.